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Cottage Food Laws in Wyoming

Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify

Yes. Under the Wyoming Food Freedom Act you can sell homemade food without a state licence, permit, inspection or required label, as long as you sell to the final buyer (yourself, through a helper you name in writing, or, for shelf-stable foods, eggs and dairy, through a store) and the buyer is told the food has not been licensed or inspected. Sales must happen inside Wyoming, and you must stay at or under $250,000 a year in gross revenue and 250,000 items a year. Most meat is not allowed, and homemade food cannot be served or used in restaurants.[1]

At a glance

Permit neededNo. Food sold under the Food Freedom Act is exempt from state licensing, permits and inspection.[1]
Sales limitUp to $250,000 a year in gross revenue and no more than 250,000 individual items a year[1]
Tell your buyersYou must tell every buyer the food is not certified, labeled, licensed, packaged, regulated or inspected[1]
Label statement (stores only)When a store resells your shelf-stable food or dairy products, it must label them: "this food was made in a home kitchen, is not regulated or inspected and may contain allergens"[1]
Where you can sellFarmers markets, farms, ranches, your home or office, or anywhere you and the buyer agree. Stores can resell shelf-stable foods, eggs and dairy. Not in restaurants.[1]
Online and shippingYou can sell online, but only for delivery inside Wyoming. No sales across state lines.[2][1]
AgencyWyoming Department of Agriculture, Consumer Health Services[3]

Step by step

Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.

  1. Check that your food is allowed

    Almost any homemade food or drink is allowed, including foods that need refrigeration (though only you or your named helper can sell those; see below). Meat is the big exception. You can sell poultry you raised and slaughtered yourself (up to 1,000 birds a year, and you can't buy and resell other people's poultry), domestic rabbit meat, live animals, portions of a live animal sold before slaughter, and farm-raised fish other than catfish raised under Wyoming's fish and game laws. You cannot sell beef, pork, lamb or goat meat directly (an animal share is the exception; see the questions below). Wild game cannot be sold.[1][2]

  2. Make sure you qualify as a producer

    The law covers people who grow, prepare or process food on property they own or lease, in Wyoming. Stay under 250,000 items and $250,000 in gross revenue a year. Out-of-state producers cannot sell under this law.[1][2]

  3. Tell every buyer the food is not inspected

    The law does not say how, only that you must. A sign at your table and a note on the package or receipt are simple ways to do it. If you skip this, you are no longer covered by the Food Freedom Act and the normal licensing rules apply.[1][2]

  4. Sell directly, or through someone you name in writing

    Sell to the final buyer (the law calls them an "informed end consumer": the last person to buy the food, who won't resell it, and who has been told it is not licensed, regulated or inspected). You can name a helper in writing, such as a person, a consignment market or a food freedom store, to market, store, transport or deliver for you; they must not take ownership of the food. Foods that need refrigeration (other than eggs and dairy) can only be sold by you or that named helper, not by a store.[1]

  5. If a store resells your food, follow the store rules

    A shop or grocery store can resell your shelf-stable foods, eggs and dairy. The store must tell buyers the food is not inspected and post a sign saying so. For shelf-stable foods and dairy, it must also keep your food off the shelves used for food from licensed kitchens and label it with the required statement.[1]

What you can and can't sell[1][2]

Allowed

  • Shelf-stable foods such as baked goods without dairy or meat fillings or frostings, jams, uncut fruits and vegetables, pickled vegetables, hard candy, fudge, nut mixes, granola, popcorn, coffee beans and dry soup mixes without meat
  • Foods that need refrigeration, such as quiches, frozen doughs and cooked vegetables and beans (sold by you or your named helper only, not by a store)
  • Eggs and dairy products, including raw milk
  • Poultry you raised and slaughtered yourself, up to 1,000 birds a year
  • Domestic rabbit meat
  • Farm-raised fish, except catfish
  • Live animals, and portions of a live animal sold before slaughter

Not allowed

  • Beef, pork, lamb and goat meat sold directly (an animal share is the exception)
  • Wild game, wild birds and wild fish
  • Catfish
  • Any food sold outside Wyoming or across state lines

Recent changes

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell my baked goods in a coffee shop, café or restaurant?

No. Homemade food cannot be sold, served or used as an ingredient in a commercial food establishment such as a restaurant or café. The law's only exception for these businesses is raw, unprocessed fruits and vegetables. Separately, a retail shop or grocery store can resell shelf-stable homemade foods, eggs and dairy if it follows the sign, shelf and label rules.[1]

Can I ship my food to customers?

Only within Wyoming. You can take orders online, but delivery has to be inside the state, and the sale cannot cross state lines.[2]

Do I need to put a label on my food?

Not for your own direct sales: the law exempts this food from state packaging and labeling rules. You still have to tell each buyer it is not inspected. If a store resells your shelf-stable food or dairy products, they must carry the statement "this food was made in a home kitchen, is not regulated or inspected and may contain allergens". Meat from an animal share needs a warning that it has not been inspected, either handed to the buyer or on the label.[1]

Can I sell raw milk or eggs?

Yes. Eggs and dairy products, including raw milk, can be sold under the Food Freedom Act, and stores can resell them too. The state's guidance says eggs must be clean and kept refrigerated.[2][1]

Can I sell beef, pork or other meat?

Mostly no. You can sell poultry you raised (up to 1,000 birds a year), rabbit meat, farm-raised fish other than catfish, live animals, and portions of a live animal sold before slaughter. Other meat, such as beef or pork, can be obtained through an animal share: a written contract where the buyer owns part of an animal or herd before slaughter, boards it with you and receives a share of the meat. You must give the buyer a warning that the meat has not been inspected and information about your herd health and processing standards, and the buyer cannot resell it. The Department of Agriculture's Q&A still says beef, pork, lamb and goat cannot be sold under the Act. Another section of the law allowing direct sales of uninspected beef, lamb, pork and goat only takes effect if federal law changes and the governor certifies it.[1][2]

Can I give out free samples?

Yes. The Department of Agriculture says you don't need a sampling licence for Food Freedom Act products. Preparing food on site at a farmers market is different: it makes you a temporary food stand that needs a state licence, except when you cook something made in your home kitchen to give out as samples.[2]

Can the health department still get involved?

Yes. The Wyoming Department of Health can still investigate food-borne illness. You can also ask an agency for advice or an inspection if you want one.[1]

Sources

  1. Wyoming Statutes Title 11, Chapter 49: Marketing Homemade Foods (Wyoming Food Freedom Act), W.S. 11-49-101 to 11-49-104, Wyoming Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
  2. Wyoming Food Freedom Act Q&A (revised 09/10/24), Wyoming Department of Agriculture. Checked October 25, 2026.
  3. Food Safety, Consumer Health Services, Wyoming Department of Agriculture. Checked October 25, 2026.
  4. HB0056, Enrolled Act No. 77 (2015): Wyoming Food Freedom Act, Wyoming Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change. Before you apply or start selling, confirm the details with Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Consumer Health Services or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.